Growing up in the nineties was a memorable
phase for young Mumbai-based musician Andrew Ferrao. Starting with the piano at
the age of 14, his days were spent learning new songs and attending band
rehearsals. He had the honour of sharing stage space with bands of the likes of
Bad Blood and Sky High and playing with the legendary Chris Perry and Anu Malik
in the late nineties. His stint with Bombay Vikings not only brought him fame
but introduced him to music production. “I have shared the stage with some of
the best artists, namely Rabbi Shergill, Neeraj Shridhar, Leslie Lewis, Natalie
Di Luccio and many more,” avers Andrew who switched gears, making music
arrangements under his own label Andrew Ferrao Collaborations. His most
memorable productions are Dr Varun Carvalho’s ‘I gotta go home’ and ‘You walk
alone’ and Dhepon’s Tibetan Album to name a few, in addition to composing music
for some award-winning documentaries by filmmaker Vandana Kohli.
Tapping popular video-sharing website
YouTube, he began producing music for various artists last year. “I have
started making music arrangements for my YouTube channel and have arranged
three songs till date for the multilingual Canadian, Mumbai-based singer
Natalie Di Luccio, Shruti Pathak Guzzler series with different artists singing
ghazals and other arrangement under the Andrew Ferrao collective,” he explains.
Keen to promote the huge inventory of
talent in his own homeland Goa, Andrew is hoping to draw out upcoming artists
to be featured on this channel as well. “After sharing the stage, I have
noticed that there are some really talented singers in Goa who are looking for
guidance and opportunities to explore in the field of music. Every time i make a
trip to Goa on a vacation, I have come across a few individuals who are open to
experimentation. This is a great opportunity for all those who can sing, write
their songs and record their voice in the studio. I’m looking forward to
produce their singles be it an original song or cover to be shared on YouTube,
this way they can showcase their talent, get motivated to make more music and
reach out to more people. The songs once recorded and mixed can also be used as
demos to get live shows or studio work,” elaborates Andrew, who is currently
working on some songs for upcoming Goan artists for the channel.
While Andrew is keeping his eyes open for
new talent, he’s hoping to encounter more artists who are willing to
experiment. “One has to be passionate enough to think out of the box as it is
the process of trying new ways of expressing yourself through singing or
playing an instrument that will bring out your talent.”
